The Ministerial Economic Committee began deliberations Thursday on the 180 million Shekel ($122 million) cut in the defense budget, part of the 486 million Shekel ($328 million) national budget reduction proposed by Finance Minister Moshe Nissim.
Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin has vigorously opposed the cut and is demanding that 150 million Shekels be restored to the defense budget, which has already been reduced. He is expected to continue the fight while the Committee tries to reach a decision, not expected until the middle of next week.
Meanwhile, Nissim’s economic plan continued to be attacked by Histadrut, which has threatened a general strike if the government tries to implement it without changes. Haim Haberfeld, head of Histadrut’s trade unions department, charged Thursday that Nissim intends “to totally change the structure of the Israeli economy.” He called Nissim the “most dangerous Finance Minister for the country’s workers and the Labor Party” since the State was formed.
Haberfeld spoke at a joint meeting of trade unionists, organizations for the handicapped and other groups opposed to the plan. All of the speakers shared his views. Histadrut leaders will convene next week to plan sanctions.
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